American Wirehair

American Wirehair
American Wirehair sitting in a cat show
Origin	United States
Breed standards
CFA	standard
TICA	standard
ACFA/CAA	standard
CCA-AFC	standard
Other	FIFe
Domestic cat (Felis catus)

The American Wirehair is a breed of domestic cat originating in upstate New York. As of 2003, though the breed is well-known, it is ranked as the most rare of the 41 Cat Fanciers' Association breeds, with only 22 registered, down from 39 in 2002.

History

The American Wirehair is a spontaneous mutation of the American Shorthair.^[1] It first occurred as a random mutation among a litter of five born to a pair of barn cats in 1966 in Vernon, in upstate New York. This single red-and-white male had wiry fur.^[2] The owner of the cats called a local breeder of Rex cats, Mrs. Joan O'Shea, to take a look at the kitten. She bought the kitten for $50, along with one of his normal-coated female littermates, to start a breeding program. The wirehaired male was named Adam, and the female Tip-Top head to.

Breeding between the two produced wirehaired kittens,^[3] many of which were sold off to other interested breeders. As the population grew, cats were exported to Canada, and Germany where they are especially popular. The breed did well, and in 1967 it was recognized by the CFA, and in 1978, it was accepted for championship competition.^[2] American Wirehairs have yet to make an appearance in Britain and Australia, among other countries.^[4]

Characteristics

American Wirehairs are similar to American Shorthairs, with the exception of a springy, wiry coat, including ear fur, and whiskers.^[3] This coat is similar to the wire coats of some dog breeds, such as terriers. Their fur requires little grooming, although lighter cats may require sunblock. Wirehairs are of a moderate, sturdy build, with round heads, high cheekbones, and a pronounced muzzle.^[4] Females are generally smaller than males.^[1] American Wirehairs display the full spectrum of possible cat coat colors, although Himalayan, Chocolate and Lilac are not accepted for competition. The Wirehair coat trait is dominant, so any breeding between a Wirehair and another cat can produce wired kittens. Wirehairs have golden eyes, except for some white ones that have blue or amber eyes.^[4]

Behavior

The Wirehair has an even, balanced temperament which is essentially identical to that of its American Shorthair relative. Wirehairs are equally content to play or fall asleep in their owners' laps. They have been described as cute and somewhat humorous. They are gentle and quiet, but also playful^[2] and active. They have quiet voices.^[4] American Wirehairs generally prefer to stay indoors.^[5]

Notes

1 2 "Canadian Cat Association breed standard: American Wirehair" (PDF). Canadian Cat Association. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
1 2 3 Geyer, Georgie Anne (2004). When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-7407-4697-0.
1 2 Hampshire, Kristen; Iris Bass; Lori Paximadis (2011). Cat Lover's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Insight and Guidance for Living a Joyful Life with Your Cat. Quarry Books. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-61058-138-7.
1 2 3 4 Bessant, Claire (1999). Cat: The Complete Guide. Barnes & Noble Publishing. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-7607-1718-9.
↑ Petruccio, Steven James (1997). Learning About Cats. Courier Dover Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-486-29533-6.

References

FBRL Breed Page: American Wirehair
Morris, Desmond (1996). Cat World, a Feline Encyclopaedia.

External links

Look up american wirehair in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Domestic cats

Felinology	Cats in ancient Egypt Cats and Islam Anatomy Genetics Dwarf cat Kitten Odd-eyed cat Squitten Coat genetics Bicolor cat Black cat Calico cat Deaf white cat Tabby cat Tortoiseshell cat

Health	Aging in cats Anesthesia Cat-scratch disease Declawing Diet Acne Asthma Calicivirus Hepatic lipidosis Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Immunodeficiency virus Infectious peritonitis Leukemia virus Lower urinary tract disease Panleukopenia Viral rhinotracheitis Flea Heartworm Neutering Polydactyly Rabies Ringworm Skin disorders Spaying Roundworm Tick Toxoplasmosis Vaccination

Behavior	Body language Catfight Catnip Communication (Meow) Kneading Intelligence Play and toys Purr Righting reflex Senses

Human–cat interaction	Ailurophobia Animal-assisted therapy Cat cafés Cat massage Cat meat Cat show Cultural depictions Farm cat Feral cat Puppy cat Ship's cat

Registries	American Cat Fanciers Association Associazione Nazionale Felina Italiana Canadian Cat Association Cat Aficionado Association Cat Fanciers' Association Emirates Feline Federation Fédération Internationale Féline Governing Council of the Cat Fancy Southern Africa Cat Council The International Cat Association

Breeds (full list) (experimental breeds)	Fully domestic Abyssinian American Curl American Shorthair Balinese Brazilian Shorthair British Shorthair Birman Bombay Burmese California Spangled Chartreux Chinese Li Hua Colorpoint Shorthair Cornish Rex Cymric Devon Rex Donskoy Egyptian Mau European Shorthair Exotic Shorthair German Rex Himalayan Japanese Bobtail Javanese Khao Manee Korat Kurilian Bobtail Maine Coon Manx Munchkin Norwegian Forest Ocicat Oriental Shorthair Persian Peterbald Pixie-bob Raas Ragdoll Ragamuffin Russian Blue Scottish Fold Selkirk Rex Siamese Siberian Singapura Snowshoe Somali Sphynx Thai Traditional Persian Tonkinese Toyger Turkish Angora Turkish Van Hybrid Bengal Chausie Highlander Savannah Serengeti

Landraces	Aegean Cyprus Domestic long-haired Domestic short-haired Kellas Sokoke Van

Book Category Portal

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.